After Tai-longs defeat
by moonbird
Summary: Po's story is wrapped up pretty neatly in the movie, but I sort of felt there was a lot of sub-text needing addressing, most particularly, Shifu and Tigress. So this is the two of them, talking after the ending of Kung Fu panda 1


"Master!" For the first time ever, Tigress was cursing.. genuinely cursing! The abnormally long stair-case up to the jade palace, a thousand stairs! It had to be a thousand stairs, and she had to be so long behind.

Last she had seen her master shifu, he had send them away, prepaired to give his own life for theirs and the valley.. for hers.

Deep inside Tigress knew it, Shifu had been willing to give his life to protect her, and every-one else, but her he had given one extra look, that had said so much more than words.

Tigress had wanted to run with Po the moment po had uttered Shifus name, but no more than one person was needed to check on Shifu, and the rest of the furious five had to stay and help the villagers.

Finally as the sun was setting in the horizon and silhouetted Tigress was she on her way, to her masters side. The rest of the furious five she had long-since out-run further down the stairs and finally she had almost reached the top. "Master Shifu." She breathed as she finished the stair and was just about to run for the Jade Palace.

"Tigress!"

Confused Tigress looked up and confused looked around. "Po?" she asked.

"Over here!" Po called again.

Finally Tigress found where the voice was coming from, the peach tree, Tigress looked over there and exhaled deeply relieved. Po was sitting down, relaxed eating a peach for desert, but the real sight for sore eyes was Shifu standing in front of the Panda, not hunched as Tigress was so used to see him, but upright, his hands behind his back as always, a warm glow of the sun on his face, and he was smiling, smiling at Tigress in a way Tigress had never seen before.

"MASTER SHIFU!" Tigress yelled and immediately ran for the two, in a leap she was up with them. "You are alive!" she exclaimed, for ones without thinking, forgetting all about herself she picked her master up to give him a huge. First did she come back to reality as two small hands sneaked behind her neck and returned the hug.

Tigress blinked. "Master Shifu, Sorry I.." she tried to deal with this weird absolutely unfarmiliar situation.

"Shh, it's okay." Shifu told and Tigress could hear in his voice that he was smiling, she was allowed to hug.

"I thought I was never going to see you again." Tigress ended up sniffing.

"I know how you feel, Tigress, for as I stood there waiting for the end, my thoughts were with you." Shifu told so silently that only Tigress could hear.

"Really?" Tigress asked doubtfully as she bowed down so Shifus feet's touched the ground and he could let go by himself.

Shifu looked at her, caught her eye as he answered honestly. "Yes." Then he smiled, even his eyes, they all smiled.

"Master." Tigress blinked. "You look… different." She realised.

"LOOK! It's MASTER SHIFU!" Monkey now called from the stairs.

"HE'S ALIVE!" Mantis also yelled now the rest of the furious five coming over as well, almost running in their haste to come to Shifu.

Crane flying over there with mantis on his head, Monkey jumping and Viper right after him.

"Okay, okay that's enough!" Shifu managed to stop them before it became a group hug or any-thing silly like that. "Yes, I'm alive, as you can see." He stated his frown completely back in place. "And so are all of you, none of you are hurt?" he looked at each and every-one of them with a critical eye. Then exhaled, suddenly his calmer smile back. "This is indeed a rare day for us, a victory for peace."

"Wait." Crane stood back. "Is he smiling at us?" he asked in a whisper to Mantis.

"Better question yet, is he calm?" Mantis asked back in a whisper.

"I heard that." Shifu replied in a frown, then pointed at his ears.. the ears that had become infamous for being able to hear an ant crawling around a mile away.

"Oh." Mantis realised.

Shifu squinted his eyes for them, suddenly walking closer making viper break her neck so they wouldn't get in physical contact, before turning to Monkey whom almost by instinct covered his eyes.

Scowering Shifu turned around and stepped three steps away, making them all exhale relived, before Shifu turned around making all of them jumped.

"Please don't hurt us! We were just so happy to see you alive!" Mantis exclaimed.

And suddenly, Shifu chuckled, then he laughed.

Confused the furious five looked at each other, only Po seemed okay with the laughter. "Got you." Shifu at least told in a smirk.

At ones Monkey had to stop his own laughter, he held up his hands to his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh.

Po on the other hand, freely did. "Oh you should have seen your own faces guys!" he laughed pointing at them.

And finally Monkey just burst out laughing, not able to contain himself any-more, and soon the rest joined in.

Confused Tigress looked around, not knowing what to do at all in this situation, then she caught eye of Shifu, who smiled up at her, it was like he was some-how shining now, radiating a certain glow, Tigress could never ever have connected with Shifu before. He really had changed.

And that thing he radiated right now, it was hard not to be smitten and smile as well.

"I'm glad you are alive." Tigress at last told Shifu.

"I am to." Shifu told honestly.

* * *

As the sun had set and the dark had fallen, every-thing seemed to have gone pretty much back to normal, Po was exhausted and had gone to bed early, as well had the rest of the furious five, except Tigress, she couldn't really sleep.

Aimlessly wandering the big jade Palace, Tigress didn't know where she was headed, until at last she stood by one of the open balconies.

The corner of Tigress eye caught a warm glow, and rounding a corner Tigress stood back, as she saw the little Red Panda, facing out towards the landscape with closed eyes, several living candles standing in front of him, as he sat in silence, without moving as much as a milimeter, in perfect meditation.

Even that seemed odd for Shifu, he had always been a great fighter, a great master and the teacher when it came to Kung fu, no one taught it as good as he did. But mediation had always seemed a problem for him. Oh Tigress had witnessed Shifu trying, but he had never quite succeeded, always ended up muttering to himself, always seeming so restless. Now it looked like he was finally able to rest himself, he looked so peaceful, Tigress had never seen him like that before and some-how, it both warmed her and made her very confused.

"So are you just going to stand there or tell me why you are upset?" Shifu suddenly asked.

Tigress jumped in shock. "Master I!" she tried to say, but no more words came out than that.

"You do seem upset." Shifu observed. "Please tell me why, Tai-long is defeated, Po ful-filled his destiny, is some-thing else wrong?" he asked. Then turned around and looked at her opening his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked in a tone that sounded genuinely concerned.

"Master I erh.." Tigress swallowed, then caught Shifus eye, that looked at her like that, no longer restrained by his ideal of distancing, that to was very different, and Tigress felt a knot in her throat as her eyes watered even though she didn't know why, she should be happy, then at last she exhaled as she quietly started speaking. "Today I saw you smile for the first time." She spoke quietly as she looked down on the floor. "And I even witnessed you laugh, I have never heard you laugh before, it feels a little odd." She mumbled.

Shifu sighed. "Tigress, come sit with me." he asked as he invited with his hand. And slowly Tigress sat beside Shifu on her own knees. "What was it I told you about the world, the flow in the world?" Shifu asked going back to the candle, closing his eyes again.

"It always changes." Tigress responded. "Like a drop of water running through a river, it will never stay in the same place for more than a fraction of a second."

Shifu nodded. "A blossom becomes a flower and the flower becomes a tasty fruit, that sort of change, is called a metamorphous." Shifu told with his eyes closed. "The caterpillar becomes a butterfly and a dried wastelands becomes a valley. What does that tell you about this metamorphous?" he asked.

"Metamorphous is…. good." Tigress ended saying. "It means that the thing whom underwent the change grew and full-filled its greatest potential."

Shifu nodded. "Good well done." He stated before he opened his eyes and continued. "The last couple of weeks, I underwent a metamorphous on my own." Shifu told. "It was unpleasant, let me tell you that, and very painful for the soul, I felt anger, frustration and despair unlike what I have ever experienced before. And I did not know what was happening before it was over." Shifu exhaled. "But now, I see so much more clearly." Shifu looked out in front of him. "The storm that obscured my vision is gone, every-thing seems like crystal clear water now, I can sense the world as I never have before. It was Oogways last gift to me, that I see the world as he did, as a true Zen master."

"So you did change?" Tigress asked.

"Changed, but I am still me Tigress." Shifu replied in a small smile. "Do not worry. I have not changed completely, I have merely become whom I should have been a long time ago, whom I was always meant to be." Then he exhaled deeply as if the next bit took a little more afford. "Tigress, for many years I was weighed down, I made my heart as hard as I could, distanced myself from feelings and from people. To afraid to let people close so they could hurt me, pushed away emotions. There was always a burden inside of me I refused to share. There-fore I couldn't obtain peace nor balance, some-thing that is highly necessary for any-one to become a true Kung-fu master, or the teacher I could have been." he told.

"Master I don't understand, you were always a true kung-fu master, you taught me, the rest of the furious five, so many others." Tigress told.

"Yes, I taught you how to fight and merely use some kung-fu fighting techniques, but I wasn't a true master yet." Shifu told a little sadly. "My own distance caused many difficulties, but most of all towards you." Shifu exhaled deeply.

"No Master Shifu, you taught me well." Tigress assured.

Shifu shook shi head. "I taught you how to make a perfect split kick, but I didn't give you the spiritual guidance that I should have, it has affected you even now, and for that I am sorry, I hope some day, I can make it up to you."

"Master, you only did what you thought was wisest, I always knew that." Tigress assured. "You taught me when every-one else had given up, took me in when no-one else wanted me, you gave me a home, a life, some-thing to life for, honour. You gave me a chance to proof myself and become some-thing great. And you were there when no one else was, and raised me. Master Shifu, even if you didn't spoke much, you were always _there_. Whenever I really needed you to be. You were.. are my.." Tigress halted.

"Yes." Master Shifu asked looking up at Tigress with questioning eyes.

"Sorry, forget it, I don't wish to be disrespectful." Tigress replied looking straightforward.

"Please." Shifu asked. "What is said here right now, stays between us, I promise you Tigress."

Tigress exhaled deeply. "Father." she at last admitted in a deep blush. "You always were as a father to me." she muttered looking down with squinted eyes.

"Tigress." Shifu replied in a soft voice. "I can imagine no greater honour, than having a daughter like you. Or having a person like you, even consider me as a Father."

Tigress opened her eyes, and looked at Shifu with surprised eyes, even became more surprised as he was genuinely smiling at her, that glow ones again coming from him, before he placed a light paw on her forearm in reassurance.

"Thank you master." Tigress replied, now also slightly smiling herself. "This still stays between the two of us right?" she asked. "I don't want the others to think I am getting any special favours."

"Absolutely." Shifu replied removing his hand. "Beside, just because you are my daughter doesn't mean any special favours or easy going, I would be highly disappointed in any child of mine whom got it the easy way when Kung-fu is concerned." he stated with closed eyes.

Tigress lifted an eye-brow.

"I told you, I am not entirely changed." Shifu replied dryly, and that more than any-thing else, made Tigress smiled. "How-ever." Shifu started over. "You would honour me greatly if you would take time off to play some checkers with me ones in a while, no one else invited of cause. How does that sound?" he asked.

"Master Shifu that sounds.." Tigress exhaled. "Absolutely wonderful." she admitted.

For some moments they sat there side by side, in bliss-full peace, until Shifu spoke again, very softly.

"Tigress, why is it important that some people must be great kung-fu warriors? Why are we here at the jade palace?" Shifu asked.

"Urh, because Kung-fu is a old and sacred art that needs to be cherished and passed on?" Tigress asked.

"Part of the answer, but not quite there." Shifu told. "Tigress, we are warriors, and we fight. To protect the things that are important. And the things that are important are what?" he asked.

"Urhh.." Tigress was clearly thinking if a lot of things.

"Not riches, not old artefacts." Shifu replied stopping Tigress.

"Then what?" Tigress asked as she was she genuinely confused,

Shifu smiled amused before he responded. "People." he then stated. "Life. And for us to excel as warriors we must know what we fight for, we must also live from time to time, having things to cherish. Our own lives must be joy-full so we know why we fight in darker times, spend our lives well, love the people around us, our family. Know what you fight for, so you fight for the right thing!" Shifu stated. "I have led you to believe Kung-fu is all there is, but now I need to ask you Tigress. do try and life as well, balance it, as we must balance every-thing else to obtain clarity and peace." Shifu asked as he pulled out the sign of Ying-yang from his robe. "Some day, you will undergo a metamorphous to as I have Tigress, and finally obtain clarity, perhaps your metamorphism will be much slower paced than mine, so no one even notices it taking place, as I see it has all-ready started, ever so slowly, and I only wish to help." he told as he put the little talisman in Tigress's paw. "Don't be scared Tigress, I am here for you when you need me, I never told you before, but that's why it's important to do so when there is still time. Three things." Shifu caught her eyes. "One, don't be afraid to ask things from me, I want to give. Two, I'm so proud of you Tigress, I've always been proud, every single day, and today I am no less proud."

Tigress swallowed, it looked like that bit of information very nearly overwhelemed her and she had a hard time maintaining her posture.

"And three." Shifu held up three fingers. "I love you Tigress." Was his last words.

That did it for Tigress, she couldn't even speak as she closed her eyes, then closed her paw around the medallion Shifu had given to her, then bowed over, and laid her arms around the little red panda, hugging him warmly, no words could speak more loudly or clear than that single action. And the hug was returned. "Thank you." Tigress barely whispered. "Thank you so much, it's all I ever needed."

"You're welcome Tigress." Shifu replied. "I only wish I had been ready sooner to tell you."

"Well." Tigress sat back up, wiping a tear from her eye with her paw. "Better late than never." She smiled. And bowed for her master in common greeting. "Beside there is nothing to forgive."

Shifu as well greeted her in the same way.

"And all of this is just between the two of us, no one else will ever know right?" Tigress asked.

"Heavens no." Shifu lightly shivered as if the very thought was repulsive to him. "No one!" he stated. "You promise that as well Tigress!" he demanded.

"Oh I promise." Tigress stated. "No one."

"No one." Shifu replied, and they both simultaneously took in a deep breath and exhaled simultaneously. And again there was silence, a sort of weird silence as Tigress eyes darted to left and right, and Shifu looked at her with a lifted eye-brow.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" Tigress finally asked. "I'm going to get some myself."

"That would be welcome." Shifu replied in a nod.

And as Tigress returned with the tea, there at the silent jade palace in the middle of the night, her and Shifu took the rare opportunity, to very simply enjoy each others company, in quiet. The way both of them best liked to be social. Quietly social.

* * *

Tigress remembered.. one night, very long ago, when she was still but a little kid, still rather new to the jade palace. She had caught herself a fever, Shifu had forbidden her to train and ordered her to bed, in spite of Tigress's protests. The last thing she wanted to be was a burden.

Her fever though, only grew worse, in the night it was raining heavily, a big thunder had sounded from the out-side and Tigress ended up screaming, shadows floated in front of her eyes, sounds of monsters. Suddenly she was scared.

"Sshh." a voice had whispered and Tigress had looked up, to met by the sight of a red Panda whom had gently laid a hand on her head. "It's all-right Tigress. There's nothing to be scared off."

Tigress hadn't been able to answer, she was to sick, there were to many shadows and noises in the room, then Shifu had sat down beside the bed, he didn't say any-thing, Shifu never said much, but he was there, he just sat there. Eventually Tigress had fallen a sleep, the next morning she had woken up and felt strangely better, she knew even before she had opened her eyes that her fever had broken and she was getting better, then she had noticed, Shifu was still sitting next to her, he hadn't moved the entire night, he had even fallen a sleep in his sitting position.

It had been rare, and few in between, but Tigress had seen the glimpses of how much Shifu cared, glimpses of another person within the harsh old man. When he had demanded her to stop when he recognised a sprained ankle, when he had been clearly anxious about sending her away for her first mission, and stood ready, waiting anxiously for her upon Tigress's return, for a brief moment she had seen relief in his eyes, but he hadn't said any-thing, just turned around, and later told Tigress along-side with the entire group that they had done well succeeding with their task. And then he had left. Now Tigress could very well guess that he had exhaled relieved the moment he was out of sight.

Tigress hadn't lost her father as part of her had been afraid of, when she had seen Shifu so very changed the first time.. it had gone so quick, but she hadn't lost any father at all. Her father had merely become the father he were always meant to be, her true father, the true Master Shifu. She had seen glimpses of him before, but he had never stayed long enough to even say hallo, before now.


End file.
